New state gun bills move through Legislature

State lawmakers have moved two gun control bills through key committees this past week, and seven more will be debated in one day next week.

SB 140 would provide $24 million in funding for sweeps by the state Department of Justice, in an attempt to retrieve guns from people who may have bought them legally but subsequently lost their right to possess weapons because of convictions, restraining orders or mental illness.

SB 140 was passed by the state Senate 31-0, and now heads to the state Assembly for a vote.

"I am hopeful that we will have bipartisan support on the Assembly floor, as well," said State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.

It's one of several bills Democrats are fast-tracking through the Legislature.

"I think before anything as horrific as happened in Newtown, Conn. happens here in California, we want to get these weapons out of the hands of these individuals as quickly as possible," Leno said.

Assembly member Steven Bradford, D-Inglewood, sponsored the bill to close what he calls a loophole that allows people to form corporations or partnerships to get around the ban.

"Right now, a corporation could transfer it among any of their members if they chose to do so," Bradford said.

Seven other bills, together known as the LIFE Act, are scheduled to go before the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday.

But gun rights advocates question the "rush" to get gun bills passed.

Josh Deaser said the large number of gun and ammunition regulations proposed by lawmakers are misdirected at responsible gun owners -- and will have little impact on criminals.

"In essence, all you are doing is (saying), 'I know you are a good guy, but I'm just going to stick it to you anyways, but this guy over here, who doesn't care about rules, we'll let him keep running amok,' " Deaser said.

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